Haven
by C-Puff
Summary: Just your usual unexpected guests dropping in from parallel dimensions. Of course it's not always just to say "hi". It was a one-shot, now it's a short story XD;
1. The Drop In

_The following story refused to leave me alone until I wrote it down. Originally just a "one-shot" it's kinda turned into a.. ..multi-chaptered one-shot._

_No super-lengthy story from me this time, so don't be too disappointed and don't take it too seriously. I hope you enjoy it though in its short pointlessness =P_

_I'm still no writer, but hopefully writing little bursts like this will one day lead me to write a second, grand-schemed epic XD Critiques and whatever else you wish to share is as always very welcome._

_Anyway. I still don't own Usagi or TMNT. (...yet :D) they belong to Stan Sakai and Viacom._

**xxxx **

Another unbelievably boring day.

Michelangelo gave an exaggerated sigh, hoping Raphael would hear his frustration despite him being in the next room and the fact that he was blatantly ignoring his younger brother's restlessness.

Leonardo and Donatello had gone topside with Master Splinter for something called "Stealth and retrieval training". There wasn't really a point in giving the exercise a title though because the entire Hamato household knew it was code for "getting food at the nearest convenience store." Master Splinter and Leo had originally planned to go alone, but Donny had spoken up saying he needed some or other cable for his computers. He claimed it wasn't a speciality item so they should be able to find it easily, but they ran into some trouble when he tried to give Leo and Master Splinter the exact specifications of the kind of wire he needed. When simply listing the input type, size of the plug as well as it's length and compatibility got him nothing but blank stares Donny'd tried writing it down on a piece of paper. Leo took one look at it before frowning in confusion, getting lost as to what meant what. Don, getting frustrated, eventually grumbled that it would save every-one a lot of headaches if he just came along and got the thing himself.

Of course once Donny said he was going along Mikey piped up saying that he should be allowed to go too, but Master Splinter disliked too many people going as a group to such an exposed area and said no.

Normally on such an expedition, they would wait until it was past 10 at night and most of the stores were closed, leaving only the grubby, privately owned convenience markets where the till-worker was usually disinterested in anything apart from his tiny portable TV and the only other patrons were either people on a late-night snack run, or young men desperately trying to redeem themselves after being caught "Unprepared". Even so, only one member of the family would enter, fully disguised of course, while the second kept watch. With Donny along, it was most likely he and Leo would enter the store, one to get the food and the other to get the cable.

Mikey understood the logic behind all this fine, but that didn't change the fact that he felt ripped off. Convenience stores sell more than food you know! There was the magazine rack which, although usually carrying only the most basic of reading material, sometimes held a forgotten back-issue of a particular comic or something. And don't forget the snack aisle! Piled high with all the junk food other stores no longer carried due to their unhealthy amount of colourants and sugar. This all already made the average convenience store a major attraction for the youngest turtle, but the fact that on this rare occasion Master Splinter and Leo were letting Donny tag along made it seem even more unfair for him to be left behind with nothing to do but either flip through all the TV channels he already knew weren't showing anything good, or stare at the ceiling.

Raph hadn't shown any interest of tagging along. As soon as Master Splinter, Leo and Donny were out of the lair he'd picked up his rather weighty tool-box and hefted it in the direction of their makeshift garage, obviously intent on giving his Shell-Cycle a little bit of attention before turning in for the night. This had aggravated Mikey even further. He'd hoped that at least Raph would stick around to keep him entertained, whether he wanted to or not, but he knew better than to try and drag some attention out of his brother while he was working on his bike. Getting Raph annoyed when he had a wrench in his hand was not a good plan.

So here he now was. Lying on his shell and trying to figure out what that discoloured patch on the ceiling was. Was it mould? Perhaps it was some kind of fungus, like glow in the dark mushrooms or something. He would've turned off the light to check this theory if he wasn't so lazy. He'd reached that stage of boredom where he had absolutely no idea of what he wanted to do, and the little things he _could_ think of doing he had no energy to get up and actually do. It'd gotten cold lately, and lying sprawled on the warmed up couch cushions was seriously discouraging him from any real activity.

He got tired of trying to figure out just what exactly that discoloured patch was and closed his eyes for lack of anything better to do. With no other plans and nothing demanding his attention it would be very easy to just drop off and catch a quick nap. Besides it was already late and there were no plans for any late-night training missions that would involve him. Of course, getting up and going to bed if he was going to sleep would've been a much better idea, but that would require getting up. The couch was warm and he was already comfortable. All he needed to complete this picture was his cat. He dully wondered to himself where Klunk might've run off to as he gave in and allowed himself to doze off.

The lair was silent apart from the far off rumbles of subway trains and the echoes of water running through the tunnels and pipes that threaded all around the large cavernous hole in the ground they called their home. With the outside world lost above him somewhere and no older brother to amuse him, Mikey felt like a foggy cloud had wrapped itself around him, removing him from the reality of, well, reality. It was a rare moment. He'd never really been one for sitting in silence for long periods of time. Even during meditation sessions he often found his mind wandering to other more exciting things and daydreams. It's not that he really disliked quietness. It was ok in its own way, it's just there were so many exciting things in the world he very rarely felt the need to block any of it out. This right now felt good though.

Maybe he was getting old.

Then again maybe Raph had just drugged his last can of soda. He would do something like that the big jerk.

Warm, nonsensical thoughts drifted in and out of his head, becoming more muffled as he started to fall asleep.

He vaguely registered a slight wind picking up around him. He merely turned onto his side and curled up against the chill. The Lair wasn't really that drafty but sometimes a stray gust of wind would find its way down somehow. Mikey thought little of it.

However, when a strange, crackling noise interrupted the otherwise silent lair he couldn't help but get shaken from his comfortable dozing.

He gave something halfway between a groan and a whine as he opened his eyes. His frustration from earlier flooded back with a vengeance as he looked around to see what'd dragged him back into consciousness.

He'd been expecting to see Raph, although what he thought Raph would be doing to make a noise that sounded like that is any-one's guess. He wouldn't have been surprised if it'd somehow been Leo or Donny either. Whatever he'd expected, it was _not_ to see a floating, cyan blue disc hovering a few feet over the coffee table. Tiny, harmless blue threads of energy crackled and zapped outwards from its centre, snaking over the top of the table before dissolving into nothingness.

Mikey blinked, the last of his drowsiness shaken off of him like water as he stared wide-eyed at the glowing blue circle.

"Er..." His eyes flitted behind him over the back of the couch to where Raph was probably still screwing around with his bike. "R...Raph?"

No reply came. The circle started to grow, forcing Mikey's attention back to it.

"Hey! ...Hey Raph! Raphael you wanna _get in here maybe?!"_ He called, forcing his voice to yell out a little louder this time.

The floating circle was almost the same size as he was now. The wind had picked up around him, and the small bolts of energy shooting from the circle centre were starting to become a cause for concern. He didn't wanna get zapped by them that's for sure. A pile of Donny's notes, left on the table after a studious session of documentaries flapped wildly before tumbling to the floor. A half empty cup of coffee tipping itself over a few seconds later.

"_Raphie I really really think you should get in-..!"_

The was a sudden, sharp burst and the disc surged, flashing bright hot for a fraction of a second before shrinking in on itself.

The sudden flash of light made Mikey's eyes twitch and he gave a yelp, covering them instinctively with his hands. Because of this, he wasn't able to catch a glimpse of what shot out of the diminishing circle before in plowed right into him, causing the couch to tip over, it's back-rest slamming to the ground behind it, taking Mikey with it.

Mikey felt the air forced out of his lungs as the unidentified things slammed against him before pinning him down. He spluttered, trying to cough his lungs full again. Whatever had hit him had been travelling at quite a speed, and it was heavy. It felt like iron or steel. Mikey tried to wriggle his arms free to pry whatever it was off of him, trying to blink focus back into his eyes. He nearly bit his own tongue when the thing on top of him started to wriggle back.

Mikey couldn't stifle the rather embarrassing high-pitched cry at this as he started to struggle against the moving thing.

Focus was flooding back into his vision as his eyes adjusted to the normal light of the lair again. He traced the vague shape of a man on top of him. He was clad in what looked like some kind of polished black armour. He could also vaguely make out the glint of goldish bronze here and there as well as flashes of deep blue. There were large, rectangular shoulder guards, a large breast-plate and sloping above it a curved helmet with sharp, mean looking horns on the front of it. It was not a good sight to see towering over you.

Mikey struggled again, finally pulling an arm free from the tangled mess that was him and his assaulter. He was just about to lash out at the armoured man when he locked gaze with a pair of wide, salmon coloured eyes. He froze his fist in mid swing, blinking stupidly at the man's face.

"U...Usagi? Where did you...??"

He didn't get much further before there was a furious growl and the suddenly all too familiar samurai was ripped off of him, giving a surprised and almost frightened sounding cry as he went.

Mikey sprung to his feet as soon as he found himself free and was just in time to grab hold of the swinging fist before it connected with the samurai's face.

"Wait wait wait wait!! Raph relax It's Usagi!! Dude chill out _it's Usagi!_"

Raph grit his teeth as he snarled at the rabbit clutched firmly in his other hand. He was furious at finding his little brother pinned by a strange figure in armour and his initial instincts had been to protect Mikey and pulverize the threat. But somewhere Mikey's words bore their way through his burst of anger and he blinked at the wide eyes staring back at him.

"Usagi?" He gaped at him in confusion for only a moment before a deep, angry frown settled on his face as he let their friend go. "What the hell?! Ya got a reason for droppin' in and scarin' the livin' daylights outta us?!"

Usagi stumbled slightly at being released so abruptly but managed to catch himself. He blinked at Raph, looking shaken.

"I..." He took a breath you could actually hear shudder, his gaze breaking from Raphael's as he looked the lair over frantically, as if only now realizing where he was. "I...."

Raph's frown deepened but he changed his expression as he uncurled his fists. "Hey.... you ok long-ears?"

Usagi snapped his eyes back to him, not looking any calmer. "I.... I am sorry I.. ..I didn't know where else.. ..I did not consider...."

"Raph!"

Raph's attention was torn away from the disorientated samurai by his little brother's tone of voice.

Michelangelo was staring at his own hands. He lifted his gaze to meet his brother's, his face pale. "Raph's he's bleeding!"

"What?!" Raph immediately snapped his attention back to the rabbit still standing in front of him. He reached up and gripped Usagi's shoulders firmly but carefully.

"Usagi are ya hurt?!"

Usagi blinked at him, as if he didn't fully understand the question.

Raph gave a short, aggravated growl. "Are you injured??" He repeated more forcefully.

"I.. ..I am not sure." Usagi said, looking down to inspect himself. "I do not think so."

"God, look at this..." Raph pulled back his hands, looking at his soiled palms. "You're covered in blood!"

"it is alright it is.. ..it is not mine...." Usagi replied, still sounding a little detached from the situation.

"I'll call Master Splinter!" Mikey said, his voice unnaturally high as he turned to run out the room and grab the nearest shell-cell.

"No. No It is alright." Usagi said, his voice focusing more. He raised his hands,pulling the evil looking helmet off his head. He shook himself slightly, freeing his tied ears before he relaxed. Raph could see his hands shaking where they gripped the brass. "I do not believe I am injured. Honestly I.. ..I think I am alright."

Mikey stumbled to a stop, giving Usagi a worried stare but saying nothing. Raph could tell he was freaking.

Not that Raph wasn't. He gave his head a shake, trying to calm himself down and get control of the situation. "Usagi what the hell is going on?!"

Usagi tucked the helmet under an arm, running his free hand over his head and ears. He was behaving less sporadically and appeared to be calming down. However as his disorientation subsided he suddenly seemed drained. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a few long, drawn out breaths. He appeared to be forcing his breathing to slow down. Raph didn't like it.

Usagi shook his head again, lowering his hand as he turned to stare at Raph. He looked tired.

"There has.. ..been some trouble." He said simply.

Raph made a noise as he crossed his arms. "I kinda figured that out for myself thanks. But that don't explain what's happening! Ya look like you've been dragged backwards through a meat-grinder!"

Usagi gave an almost frustrated sigh as he rubbed at his face with a hand. This had the opposite effect he wanted though as all he managed to do was smear more dirt and grime on the white of his cheeks.

"It is complicated... ...listen, I apologize for arriving unannounced like this but I did not know what else to do. Coming here was.. ..it was all I could think of at the time. I did not mean to startled any-one but... ..I just lost my head or..." He gave a single, mirthless laugh. "..Or I was about to I suppose. Poor choice of words on my part... ...But not too far off from the truth I don't think.... ...but I acted without thinking and... ...It is all.. ...it is all very complicated..."

He closed his eyes with a long breath, sinking in place. He seemed dizzy as he suddenly swayed rather dangerously.

"Woah!" Mikey leaned forward to steady him but Raph was closer, grabbing hold of the samurai's shoulders again before he tipped himself off balance. Raph was trying hard to keep the serious expression on his face, but he was becoming more and more concerned as he listened to their friend babble senselessly. He could feel the samurai's shoulders trembling against his hands somewhere underneath the cloth designed to guard him from archers. It was coarse and the material felt thick and heavy. The sturdy shoulder guards were fixed tightly to the breastplate which lay across the rabbit's chest. The complicated ensemble of brass and cloth was designed to be as lightweight as possible, but with Usagi acting fatigued and frazzled Raph had no doubt it was probably feeling a lot heavier than his friend needed it to be right now.

Not to mention the dark stain soaking deeper into the woven material between breastplate and skirt was making him very worried, regardless of Usagi's claim that he was unhurt.

Raph made a noise, lifting his gaze to Usagi's again. "I get it. Whatever's goin' on, it's messed up, but forcing yourself to try and explain it when ya can barely stand ain't gonna help any of us."

He dropped his gaze again, lowering his hands and running them over the breastplate, completely ignoring any signs of Usagi not being comfortable with this. "How do I cut ya outta this soup can?"

Usagi blinked, a little bewildered by the forwardness but he raised his hands to show where the armour was secured over his shoulders. Raph nodded and grabbed hold of a strap, wrestling with the knot.

"Hey Mike. Make yourself useful and get the other side." He barked, not bothering to give his little brother a glance.

Mikey nodded, coming forward sparing the samurai a nervous smile. "Gotta hand it to you. You sure know how to make an entrance." He said shakily.

Usagi said nothing but gave a small, uncertain smile back. Raph seemed less amused though, undoing the knot before taking the helmet Usagi still had tucked under his arm and pushing it into Mikey's hands.

"Do us all a favourr and go find somewhere ta put that." He grumbled.

Mikey gave a pout and opened his mouth to complain but Raph shot him an exceptionally dirty look and he thought better of it.

"Fine. Whatever." He grumbled to himself, turning to put the _kabuto_ on the upset coffee-table.

He pushed the last survivors of Donny's notes to the floor carelessly before putting the horned helmet down. He straightened, inspecting his hands again as he turned back to the others.

"No offence Usagi, but I've seen butchers with cleaner clothes than you." He said as he came closer again.

"Can it Mikey." Raph snapped, undoing one of the Samurai's gauntlets while Usagi tried, rather counter-productively, to undo the other one at the same time.

"No seriously Raph!" Mikey insisted, holding his hands up for inspection. "I feel like an extra in 'The Shining!'" He frowned, thinking about his own statement for a second. "Then again the Shining didn't really have extras did it? Maybe Carrie then! I mean I haven't seen it but that's got a lot of gore and stuff in it right?"

Raph turned his attention away from helping Usagi out of his armour to give Mikey a disgusted look. "More than a little creepy Mike. It's _blood_ not tomato juice! Show a little seriousness would ya?"

"I'm not the guy covered with the stuff." Mikey muttered, subconsciously trying to wipe his hands clean against his plastron. He didn't like giving Raph the satisfaction but after his brother said it Mikey suddenly became overly aware of what the liquid was.

"...He is not wrong." Usagi spoke up uncertainly. "I must look terrible."

Raph said nothing for a few moments, pretending to focus on the last strap of the gauntlet before puling it off.

"Ya probably could do with a little cleaning up I guess." He said as he put the arm-guard down next to the breastplate.

Usagi tugged at the blue kimono he'd been wearing under the metallic scales. Raph was secretly relieved to see the red stains on the armour weren't present on the silk. Wherever the stains had come from they weren't the cause of a wound bleeding from the inside outwards. Raph silently thanked whoever controlled these sorts of things that Leo wasn't there right now. He could only imagine how his oldest brother would've reacted at seeing his bosom buddy covered in blood from an unknown source.

Raph turned to his little brother who seemed to be unsure whether or not making light of the situation would be a good idea. On the one hand taking the edge off of a stressful situation was something he was good at. On the other hand, Usagi still looked wrung out and exhausted. Mikey was worried, and wasn't sure how to diffuse the tension in the air.

Raph sighed inwardly. Mikey sometimes annoyed the crap out of him, especially when he tried acting cute in a serious situation like this, but the guy meant well. He just wants to help, Raph reminded himself.

He knelt down and started to collect the removed armour in his arms. "Make yourself useful chowder-head and get bunny-boy cleaned up."

Mikey blinked. "What're you gonna do?"

Raph stood up, waving a gauntlet at him. "Get these things clean so we don't have Master Splinter walkin' in and freaking out at the smell. You don't mind right?" He added, giving Usagi a sideways glance.

Usagi blinked but shook his head. He seemed a little lost in all of this. "No... thank you..."

"Whatever" Raph grumbled, heading back to the workshop to get something to clean the armour. "But you better give us a full explanation once ya start lookin' less like a car wreck."

Usagi nodded dumbly, watching Raph exit the room.

Mikey tugged on his sleeve. "Come on. Raph'll know how to clean your Shredder get-up, don't worry."

Usagi frowned at this, turning back to the younger turtle. "My what?"

"Nevermind." Mikey grinned, pulling him in the direction of the bathroom. "Let's just get you washed up so you can tell us what happened already! Besides," His smile widened. "Leo'll have a kitten if he comes home and sees you looking like this."

Usagi pulled a face at this but Mikey didn't seem to realize the crassness of the statement; considering the present company.

-----

Mikey waited in a way he considered to be patient, rocking on the balls of his feet as he listened to the gush of water somewhere behind him. He hummed tunelessly to himself, looking around at the empty room. There was nothing to hold his interest, and apart from the shower it was silent.

"...You doin' ok?" He asked, not turning around. "No cuts or anything right?"

"For the hundredth time Mikey-kun, I have not been hurt." Usagi replied although not impatiently.

"Alright." Mikey called back. "Just thought I'd make sure. Sometimes I get nicked by a lucky shot and I don't notice it till I get it wet and it starts to sting you know? They don't hafta be good to get you. They just need to be lucky. At least that's what Master Splinter says. 'Cept he doesn't really say it that way ya know? He's more all sensei-y about it, all 'Even the strongest lion will sometimes be kicked by the gazelle' or something like that."

"Michelangelo-kun..." Usagi sighed.

"What?" Mikey blinked to himself. "Not a good example? I'm not the best with these analogy thingies. You should ask Leo, he's got a few good ones."

"No. I mean I am done." Usagi replied.

Mikey turned to look over his shoulder. Usagi had dried himself off as much as was possible and had wrapped a robe around himself. Mikey had refused to let him put on his kimono and _hakama_ after he got clean and had forced him to borrow the thickest winter robe Mikey owned instead. It was made of fleece and was a dark stormy grey. Mikey was still planning to twist April's arm into showing him how to stitch a little "M" on it somewhere.

He grinned widely, proud of his own handiwork at seeing the once-again-white samurai in the darker material. The grey looked good on him, and Mikey couldn't help but notice the impression Usagi was giving off as a giant walking plush toy, his towel-dried fur sticking up in odd places. However the otherwise light-hearted effect was spoiled by the dark circles starting to form under the rabbit's eyes, and the way his now untied ears were hanging lower than usual.

Mikey forced his smile to perk happily, masking the pang of concern as he walked forward and took the samurai by the sleeve again.

"Come on. We'll wait for Raph to finish your armour stuff in the main room then you can tell us your story!" He said cheerfully, hoping to lift his friend's spirits.

Usagi managed a smile but Mikey had a feeling it was more forced than he would've liked. He tugged Usagi out of the bathroom and to the entertainment area. He let him go when he realized the couch still lay over-turned on the floor. He grabbed hold of it and forced it back upright, a little hastier than necessary. He didn't want Usagi to offer to help. You didn't need to be a genius to see he wouldn't be up to it. Mikey then turned back and ushered Usagi to sit before plonking down beside him.

The samurai gave a long, grateful sigh as he sank deeper into his seat, leaning his head against the back-rest and closing his eyes. Mikey watched him quietly, letting his smile slip slightly. He'd been keeping up the bubbly act as best he could but it was getting hard, especially since Usagi didn't seem to be cheering up. Still, the rabbit wasn't injured and that meant Mikey still had a chance of getting a real smile out of him.

He straightened in his seat again, resuming what he hoped was his infectious grin.

"Ya hungry? Leo, Donny and Sensei ran off to get food but I think we still have a left over slice of pizza or something." He frowned to himself thoughtfully. "Oh wait you don't like that kinda stuff do ya? Weirdo." He grinned a little wider before settling into a warmer smile. "Well... We probably have something you'd like if ya want me to check."

Usagi shook his head. "I am not hungry thank you."

Mikey tilted his head. "Thirsty then?"

Usagi opened his eyes, thinking this over for a moment. Eventually he gave a slow nod.

Mikey got up, grinning victoriously. "What're you up for? We got coke, Mountain Dew, There's a beer hidden somewhere I'm sure. We're outta lemonade though. I'm not very great at it but I could make some tea if you want but it'll take a few minutes."

Usagi shook his head. "Just water please."

Mikey gave a slight pout at this. "Awww. That's all?"

Usagi smiled at this much to Mikey's satisfaction, giving a tired nod. "If you would be so kind."

Mikey dropped the pout and nodded. "Alrighty then! One glass of water on the rocks comin' right up!"

He turned and trotted from the room, glad to be able to do something practical to help and not just sit around until Raph decided to show his face again. Besides, he wasn't looking forward to when Leo and the others came home and they'd have to explain to his worry wart of a brother what's going on. Raph could do that thank you very much. Mikey was perfectly happy running around doing errands to keep Usagi happy and duck Leo's line of questions.

It's not that he wouldn't understand his brother's concern or anything, but the fact that he knew next to nothing about what's going on would mean he probably wouldn't be able to answer most of Leo's questions. And if he couldn't answer Leo's questions Leo would just get more worried, and when Leo got more worried he got more insistent on getting answers and so on and so forth. Oh sure Usagi could probably answer them all and save them the trouble, but he looked really tired and Mikey wasn't sure he'd want to tell them a big long epic tale while he was feeling like crap.

'And he really is too.' Mikey thought to himself as he ran the tap, waiting for the water to cool before filling a glass. He had no idea what Usagi had gone through, but he could tell whatever it was, it wasn't pretty. On top of the screamingly obvious armour and blood, Usagi just didn't seem himself. At least not the way Mikey knew him. He was exhausted and kinda quiet. Usagi wasn't the most talkative person in the world, sure, but when he was in a good mood he could be lots of fun to hang out with. He had a good sense of humour, was eager to share any stories or anecdotes he might have and was generally a pretty pleasant guy. Brooding silently to himself like a fuzzy version of Raph didn't really suit the mental image Mikey had of the samurai.

He turned off the tap, opening the freezer and grabbing a few random ice cubes, dropping them into the glass and amusing himself with the sharp snaps and pops as the ice cracked at the sudden change in temperature. He wondered for a moment if he shouldn't grab something for the rabbit to eat after all but decided against it. He didn't want to pressure the guy, and if he was hungry after getting some fluid into him he'd say so.

Mikey turned and carried the glass back to the main room. He smiled warmly as walked back over to the sofa. "Well here ya go! Hope you don't mind I put some-..."

He cut his own sentence short when he found himself staring at the samurai lying completely out cold in front of him. He couldn't have been out of the room for more than 5 minutes, yet Usagi looked as if he'd been out for hours, breathing slowly and calmly with his knees curled up against his chest like a child's.

Mikey blinked dumbly, the cold glass in his hand chilling his fingers as he stared at the inert figure lying fast asleep on their couch.

"Remind me ta tell that rabbit he owes me a new can of polish." Raph's voice grumbled into the room, followed shortly by its owner as he wiped his hands clean on a grubby piece of cloth.

He looked up and frowned at the sight of Mikey standing stupidly in front of the sofa.

"Somethin' wrong?" He asked, unable to keep the concern out of his voice. He draped the cloth over a shoulder as he walked closer.

Mikey shook his head, looking up at his brother. "He fell asleep."

Raph leaned forward to look over the back of the sofa. He made a small, meaningless noise to himself, turning back to Mikey. "How's he doing?"

Mikey gave a half-shrug. "Not terrible but.. not exactly great. He's been acting like a zombie."

Raph pulled a slight face at this but nodded. "Nothin' seriously wrong?"

Mikey shook his head. "I don't think so."

Raph said nothing for a few moments. Mikey waited, trying to read his expression and imagine what was going through his head.

"Best leave the guy ta get some sleep. He looks like he could use it." Raph turned, heading for the bathroom. "We'll wait till the others get home and hear what Splinter thinks we should do."

"Where're you going?" Mikey asked, turning to trot after him instinctively.

"Washing up." Raph replied bluntly. "I'm covered in grime. Get bunny-boy a blanket while I'm at it will ya?"

Mikey gave a salute. "Right away Mon Capitan"

"Yeah yeah. Can the wise-cracks and just make sure the guy doesn't catch pneumonia."

Mikey nodded, turning to the direction of their rooms. He stopped, thinking for a moment before turning back to Raph. "Hey Raph... ...How bad d'you think it is?"

Raph stopped, turning to give Mikey a confused scowl.

"You know.." Mikey waved in Usagi's general direction. "Whatever he's been through."

Raph said nothing, frowning to himself for a few moments before turning and continuing to the bathroom. "Bad enough."

**xxxxx**

_More to follow 8D Haven't written it yet but... it'll follow XD;_


	2. Unpleasant surprises

_Chapter 2 was getting ridiculous in length so I've cut it into 2. So this story is gonna be 4 chapters long, not 3 like I intended 8D;; oops._

_I don't own TMNT or UY._

**Xxxxx**

The silence in the room was broken by the sound of the service elevator descending from ground level. Raph turned towards it, putting down the gauntlet he'd been looking over as the doors opened and Leo, Donny and Master Splinter stepped back into the lair. Leo and Donny were both carting plastic bags filled far beyond bursting point while Master Splinter followed behind them carrying a smaller packet of a different colour. Raph recognized it as a sign that the three of them had made a pit stop in China-Town for some tea, incense and whatever else Master Splinter felt they were running low on.

Leo and Donny seemed to be having a slight disagreement with each other. You couldn't really call it "arguing". Leo and Donny weren't very good at arguing with each other. Leo was too calm and level-headed and Donny was too logical and passive-aggressive. However it seems that this was one of the rare occasions when they found something that annoyed them enough to start bickering. Normally Raph would've just sat back and enjoyed the show, but considering the circumstances, he found himself unable to have a laugh at his brothers' expense.

"I keep telling you Leo, if I hadn't asked I'd never have found it!" Donny was saying impatiently. By his tone of voice it sounded like it wasn't the first time he'd done so either.

"Well I'm sorry but I just don't see how finding a wire for your computer system is worth waltzing up to the cashier and asking the man face to face! Disguise or not no-one's _that_ blind!" Leo shot back as he removed the hat from his head.

Master Splinter seemed uninterested in the squabbling apart from an expression that Raph couldn't figure out if he was suppose to be annoyed or somehow amused. You could never tell with Master Splinter. His lack of interference suggested he wasn't annoyed enough to break them up though and was waiting for them to settle the matter between themselves.

While Donny and Leo pulled off their coats and hats to put away, still grumbling at each other, Master Splinter headed for the kitchen with his parcel. He gave Raph a warm, acknowledging smile as he went as a way of greeting.

Raph kept his gaze stony and serious, knowing it was all he needed to do. Master Splinter noticed and immediately picked up the hint, his smile disappearing and a concerned frown spreading on his face. He turned and changed direction, heading over to Raph instead.

"You look troubled Raphael." He said gently.

Raph gave a nod once Master Splinter was close enough. Leo and Donny were still quarrelling with each other over Donny's carelessness. That suited Raph fine, he didn't want to cause a big scene and have drama explode all over the place. Once Leo and Don calmed down they can be told what's going on.

Splinter's frown deepened by the smallest fraction as he kept his gaze on Raph's.

Raph jerked his head towards the couch slightly. "We got a visitor."

Master Splinter turned in the direction Raph had motioned, his gaze coming to a stop on the samurai lying curled under one of Mikey's blankets. He was sleeping like a rock, completely oblivious to the voices that had suddenly broken the silence. He'd curled an arm up over his neck, curling his fingers around Mikey's blanket instinctively to keep it wrapped around himself.

Master Splinter's whiskers twitched as he put his packet on the coffee table next to the _kabuto_ and carefully walked closer to Usagi. He looked him over quietly but made sure not to disturb him. Raph stayed glued where he was, watching his sensei inspect their friend.

"Is he injured?" Splinter asked quietly. He didn't want to touch the rabbit for fear of waking him up and could see little with the blanket in the way.

Raph shook his head, keeping his voice low. "Don't look like it, but he was actin' kinda weird when he showed up."

Splinter straightened and turned his stare back to Raph, an indication that he wanted more elaboration on this.

Raph unfolded his arms, rubbing at the back of his neck. He wasn't really sure how to explain it. "He seemed kinda out of it. But not like he was confused or crazy or anythin'. He just seemed kinda... I dunno.... He seemed kinda gloomy. But it was like he was dizzy and exhausted and sick all at the same time. I dunno how ta explain it. He just didn't seem right."

Splinter made a small noise to himself at this that could've meant anything. He turned his gaze away from Raph and back to Usagi. He stared at him for a few minutes before his eyes travelled away from the sleeping figure and traced the rest of the area. He turned to the armour lying on the coffee table and floor, frowning lightly to himself. He briefly glanced over Usagi's _daisho_ lying on the coffee table where Mikey had carefully placed them before turning back to Raph.

"Did he say why he is here?" He asked. Raph wasn't sure but it sounded like there was a small amount of dread in the question.

Raph shook his head. "He fell on top of Mikey dressed like a can of sardines. We got him cleaned up and stuff but before we could ask 'im anythin' he dropped off. That was about an hour ago."

Splinter nodded at this thoughtfully. He turned back to Usagi, thinking this over.

"What's so important about this damn cable of your's anyway?!" Leo snapped. He was losing his patience.

"I needed a new Standard-A cable to connect one of my hard-drives to my main CPU. My old one's having connection issues and wasn't communicating with it properly." Donny snapped back with a little more venom than usual.

"So you decided to chat it up with the store owner _who we are most likely gonna have to see again next time_ for a _replacement_ part?! I mean Come on Don couldn't it wait?!" Leo said, his voice rising a little.

"I've been struggling with my old one for the past 3 _weeks_ Leo!" Donny spat. "I _have_ been waiting! What was I suppose to do? Just struggle and wait for a day when the store decides to put them on an actual shelf somewhere?!"

"Guys! Keep a lid on it will ya?!" Mikey's voice interrupted the two of them as he strolled into the room.

Normally Leo would've told him to stay out of it and just go right back to trying to make Don see how risky it was to speak directly to a human who could easily hit the store's alarm on them, but when he was confronted with a rather uncharacteristically seriousness frown on his youngest brother's face he swallowed back his words.

"Geez. What's with you?" Donny grumbled, shooting Leo an irritated look before turning to Mikey himself.

Mikey's frown stayed only a few seconds longer before it melted and he gave them a more normal, wide-eyed look of appeal.

"You're making a racket." He said with a hushed voice.

"So?" Leo said with a frown.

"It's just we've been trying to keep it down 'cause Usagi's asleep. He hasn't woken up yet and I don't think we should do anything that might-..."

"Usagi's here?!" Leo interrupted, immediately perking up. "No way! Why?!"

"Dude! Shut up! I just said he's sleepin'!" Mikey said, not much quieter.

"Alright alright." Leo said, lowering his voice. "But why's he here? He doesn't normally just show up out of the blue."

"So to speak." Donny commented, referring to the colour the inter-dimensional portals tended to take on.

Mikey gave a small groan. This was exactly the line of questions he didn't want. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "We don't know. He kinda.. ..dropped in on us. Or rather me."

Leo's small moment of cheerfulness at hearing his friend had shown up crashed and a small, confused frown appeared on his face. "Didn't he say anything?"

Mikey gave a lopsided grin and a shrug. "He said it was complicated and that he didn't know where else ta go. Then he fell asleep."

Donny pulled a face. "That doesn't sound good."

He hadn't directed the statement at any-one in particular, but he turned his gaze to Leo to see what he thought of this.

"Where is he?" Leo asked simply.

Mikey pointed in the direction of the couch. Leo turned and waking towards it hurriedly, leaving his shopping bags in the middle of the floor. Donny followed after him.

Mikey gave an inward sigh of relief. He'd been expecting a lot more 3rd degree than Leo gave him. Still, there was a chance that Leo was going to give him a barrage of questions once he sees the samurai was asleep and wasn't gonna answer anything himself. Mikey made a tactical move, picking up Leo's plastic bags in his arms and hurrying to the kitchen, giving off the impression of being too busy to answer any questions right now.

Leo marched over to the couch. Raph turned his attention away from Master Splinter, recognizing the oncoming wave of anxiety that was a concerned Leonardo.

"He's fine." Raph said before his older brother even got a word out. "He's just worn out."

Leo ignored him, rounding the couch and hurriedly giving Usagi a once-over.

Donny stood himself beside Raph, giving him a questioning stare while Leo had his back turned. Raph gave him a sideways glance in return, followed by a small, reassuring shrug. Don gave a half-smile at this but he still looked deeply concerned.

Master Splinter walked closer again, standing himself beside Leo. "Raphael is right Leonardo. He is not hurt."

Leo's frown flickered slightly but he gave a single nod, turning to face Raph instead, his demeanour switching into 'business mode'. "Mikey said he hasn't told you anything about what happened."

Raph nodded, crossing his arms. "He seemed kinda beat up. I thought it was more important that we got 'im clean and settled before we asked him a million questions. I didn't think he'd pass out on us. 'Course once he did it seemed a dumb idea ta wake him up."

Leo gave a nod of silent approval at this. Raph hated himself a little for feeling proud at this. As if he needed Leo's approval for the things he did and choices he made!

"Was he wearing these?" Donny asked. He'd wandered over to the coffee table when he spotted the Japanese armour. He was currently admiring the helmet, turning it over and inspecting the layered brass.

"Yeah." Raph said simply.

Donny lowered the helmet, turning to Master Splinter and Leo. "Not exactly every-day attire is it?" He said with a dark expression.

"You think he got caught up in a battle or something?" Leo asked. The frown was refusing to leave his face.

"I don't doubt it." Raph interrupted. "He was a mess when he showed up."

Leo made a small noise at this.

"I think this is a matter best discussed once our guest is awake and able to explain himself." Master Splinter said calmly. He took a few steps forward, putting himself in the centre of attention. "For now, we should be content that he is uninjured and that he is safe while here in our home. If he has come from hard times then sleep is probably the best course of action for him right now."

He turned his gaze to each of his sons. "There is no immediate cause for concern. I suggest we follow his example. Tomorrow when we are all rested we can ask him to tell us what is going on."

They nodded. What else could they do?

Master Splinter gave a satisfied nod, picking up his parcel again.

"Sensei," Leo spoke up. "If it's ok, I'd like to hang around and keep an eye on him."

"Geez Leo. He's a damn samurai, not a baby." Raph growled irritably at him, nudging him lightly as he walked past him, heading in the direction of his room. Leo gave him an icy glare but otherwise ignored him, turning back to Splinter.

Master Splinter frowned at him lightly. "I do not think it is necessary Leonardo."

Leo bit his lip slightly. "Maybe not but.. ...I'd feel better about it. Besides, I don't think I'd be able to get much sleep anyway."

Donny watched Master Splinter silently. He wanted to say something to back Leo up but he couldn't think of anything. He knew there was probably no reason for Leo to be overly concerned, but he also knew that Leo was bursting with questions no-one had answers for right now and the chances of him falling asleep were pretty much non-existent. Leo had always been all about control. Being in a situation like this where the only thing he could do was sit and wait was probably driving him crazy.

Master Splinter stared at Leo quietly. He knew his eldest son; his biggest weakness and greatest strength were both his concern for those he cared about. His worry was weighing heavily on him, but Leo knew he couldn't wake up his friend to find out what happened and if the samurai needed help. He was accepting that he could only wait till Usagi woke up himself. He was being patient. Perhaps not as patient as possible, but he was young and patience came slowly with age. Splinter couldn't expect him to push aside his emotions completely.

He gave a nod. "If you would feel more at ease making sure Miyamoto-san is comfortable then I am not against it."

Leo's shoulders sagged slightly in relief as he gave a small smile. "Thank you Sensei."

"That does not extend to you though." Splinter said, giving Donny an accusing stare as he turned to walk to the kitchen again. "You are always up too late and then fatigued during the morning's training routine."

Donny gave Usagi a last look before turning to head in the direction of his room. "I always keep up though."

"It is not about 'keeping up' Donatello." Splinter sighed as he left. "It is about improving."

Leo watched them each go their separate ways before he turned and sat himself down in the armchair. He turned his attention back to his sleeping friend. He was somewhat amazed that Usagi didn't so much as flinch at the conversations buzzing around him. Then again, Leo wasn't sure how heavy a sleeper Usagi was. He knew Usagi had a keen 6th sense and a rather uncanny ability to pick up any signs of a threat being near even when he was fast asleep. Usagi called it his _Dairokkan, _but that was just another way of saying "Intuition" and didn't explain anything. It was a skill Leo was still trying to perfect. Unfortunately it wasn't one Master Splinter could teach him, merely offering the advice "Just follow your gut" when Leo asked him about it once. Not exactly concrete directions.

Leo sighed, making himself comfortable. Either Usagi was just too worn out to be aware of the other people in the room, or he felt safe enough here not to worry about it. Leo liked to think it was the latter.

A short while later Mikey trotted out of the kitchen and hurried towards his room, followed closely by a grumpy looking Splinter who watched him until he was sure the youngest turtle had gone to bed before he retired for the night himself.

**Xxxxx**

_The next chapter has answers in it I swear XD;_


	3. Usagi's Story

_Most of this chapter is me trying to fake it XD; so please excuse any historical inaccuracies or mess-ups regarding battle-tactics etc._

_Also, I can't speak Japanese (apart from a stray word or two, nothing to brag about). But I tried to be authentic in the 2 or 3 words I used._

_And lastly, I don't own TMNT or UY._

**Xxxxx**

He dreamt about dragons that night.

However the details left him when sensations from the outside world started to invade his subconscious. Vaguely heard sounds took form in his mind, their fantasy counterparts in the dream dissolving away to nothing as he realized that they didn't make any sense and that the sounds he was hearing had to be coming from somewhere else.

Colours and forms melted and changed before flooding into focus as shapes with more physicality to them, although they still looked confusing and strange.

He blinked, waking up a little more and finally recognizing the sharp lines of the coffee table in front of him, along with the sloping sides and sharp, pointed spikes of his helmet resting on top of it.

Usagi shifted, tensing the muscles in his arms and legs to shake them out of their sleep. He sat up, rubbing at his face with a hand. His head was throbbing. He covered his eyes and exhaled as his brain resurrected the memories and facts of the real world. He sat silently for a few moments, allowing events and faces to fall back into place in his head before he lowered his hand and opened his eyes again. He looked the area over.

He was tucked away in a small secluded area of the otherwise much larger room. He could trace the outline of the armchair, as well as the strange reflective glass that held the recorded images and stories his friends sometimes amused themselves with. His armour lay next to the table, carefully placed to be out of the way. The walls were snaked with iron pipes which ran up and disappeared somewhere in the ceiling.

It was dark. He could pick up the faint trickling of water, both nearby in the pipes on the wall as well as far away in the underground rivers that made up his friends' domain. There was a faint rumble from above, it was the sound of something large passing over him. It wasn't a threat, and he'd learnt a while ago how to ignore it.

The faint harmony of sounds seemed to have no other purpose but amplify the silence he found himself in.

The time escaped him completely. There was no sun or moon to judge how long he'd been asleep, although the darkness and lack of activity seemed to suggest it was still the middle of the night. He was relieved. He didn't like the idea of being out of commission for longer than was necessary.

He turned to look over the back of the sofa and in the direction of where he knew the bedrooms were.

He noticed a warm yellow glow coming from the doorway leading to the kitchen, cutting through the otherwise blue-black room.

He pulled the blanket off of himself, sparing it a glance and silently thanking the youngest turtle brother. He was pretty sure it had been Michelangelo who'd given it to him. He seemed to be the one who most often forgot himself in favour of others.

He got up up, adjusting the soft material of the robe around himself before walking towards the lit doorway. He stopped when he reached it, peering inside to see if any-one was there. Leonardo was sitting at the kitchen table, idly sipping a steaming mug and staring off into the distance. He seemed to be lost in thought. Usagi smiled to himself, stepping into the room. Leo looked up at the sound of footsteps and broke into a welcoming smile.

"Hey! Look who's back in the land of the living." He greeted him warmly.

Usagi couldn't help but give a light chuckle at this, walking closer and sitting down in a seat opposite from him.

"_Hisashiburi." _He said rather pathetically, acknowledging how it'd been a while since they saw each other.

Leo gave a nod in agreement. "It's not every day we come home with you asleep on our couch."

Usagi gave a sheepish smile at this. "Er.... yes. I must apologize for that."

Leo waved a hand dismissively. "Please. As if we'd kick you out." He got up, turning towards the kettle. "Coffee? Tea?"

"Tea if you can spare some." Usagi replied.

Leo got another cup and went about getting his friend a drink. "Mikey and Raph didn't drive you too insane right?"

Usagi laughed at this, something Leo was more than a little relieved to hear. "Not completely no. Although I must admit, Mikey-kun was wearing me down a little. He certainly loves to talk."

"Oh God. You got a full-powered Mikey ramble?" Leo laughed. "I feel sorry for you."

"It was not all that terrible." Usagi smiled. "It is uplifting to be in high-spirited company.. ..only.. ..not when I am weary and in desperate need of rest. Then it becomes a bit overbearing." He gave a toothy grin. "Although I would appreciate it if you did not tell him that."

"Mikey knows he can be annoying." Leo said, turning back to the kettle when it switched itself off. "He was probably just eager to help. He tends to go a little over-board with the whole "cheering up" thing, but it's more because he's overly concerned rather than ignorant to how people feel." He shrugged. "At least as far as I can figure it out. It could just be he was excited to see you again."

"Speaking of which, I've been driving myself crazy here waiting for you to wake up." He added, coming back and handing Usagi the cup of tea. "Raph and Mikey said you were kinda loopy when you arrived." Leo's face turned serious for a moment. "You're alright aren't you?"

Usagi gave him a reassuring smile and a nod. "I am alright. Although I admit I was out of sorts when I arrived." He blew on his cup before taking a long draw from it, giving a content sigh. "I must have hit my head harder than I thought when I fell from my horse."

Leo frowned lightly at this, sitting down and going back to his own cup of coffee. "You fell off a horse?"

Usagi gave a nod, peering over the rim of his cup. "It was killed by a gunner while I was trying to flee. I fell when it stumbled." His ears dipped slightly. "a Pity. It was a fine animal."

Leo's mug froze half-way to his mouth at this. He stared at Usagi with a hard-set frown for a few seconds before he put it down again.

"Usagi... what's going on?" He said, more with concern than anything else. "You're falling off horses, you're running from gunmen.... what've you gotten yourself into?"

Usagi gave a hollow laugh at this. "Indeed. I was asking myself the same question."

He sighed, rubbing his temples with a finger and thumb before folding his hands around his cup of tea again. Leo kept his eyes locked on him, expecting to hear more.

Usagi stared at the liquid in the cup for a few moments before he spoke again.

"A conflict has broken out.

There had been more frequent sightings of gangs along the Geishu Province's Eastern Border. Of course no-one paid this any serious attention at the time. There are always marauders and bandits along the roads of any of _Nippon_'s provinces. It was a matter for the local area's police or any man who thought himself skilled enough to collect the bounty placed on them. The magistrates of the area were aware of the sudden increase in crime and alerted the towns as well as Lord Noriyuki's court. However despite the increase in strange gangs and hold ups on peasants travelling the roads alone and un-armed, it did not seem like the largest cause for concern.

I was on my way to cross the border into Geishu territory myself when I was told of the increased danger. I had been planning to pay Lord Noriyuki's court a visit since I was travelling towards that direction at the time anyway and I enjoy seeing him and Tomoe when I am able. I made sure to be cautious travelling the area but the warning was not enough to drive me away.

I was fortunate not to be attacked on the road, however while travelling I saw one of these gangs coming from behind me. I was prepared should they try and confront me but they seemed uninterested and let me be. The most I thought of it was to consider myself lucky and continued on my way, turning and taking a narrower, less used path to avoid meeting up with them again in case they decided I was an easy target after all.

I followed the path which led me to the southern coastline. I was admiring the view when a different band crossed my path. I did not dare consider myself lucky enough to avoid attention twice in the same day but again they ignored me. I could not help but notice they were travelling in the same direction as the last group had been.

I was curious, but I did not want to purposefully go looking for trouble and decided to stay on my current path.

I continued on without meeting any-one else and decided that perhaps I was just being paranoid because of the warnings I had received. It was getting late and I forgot the strange events and focused my attention instead on trying to find somewhere to spend the night. I was hoping that I might run across a village somewhere along the coastline since the area's sandy beaches made for good fishing and the fishermen tended to be friendly and very hospitable.

After I had walked a distance without any signs of any being near I started considering the possibility of needing to spend the night outdoors, which I was not overly fond of."

He gave a small shrug at this and took a moment to sip at his tea.

"I thought myself in luck when I spotted a small settlement along the beach ahead of me. I turned towards it, hoping that some-one would be kind enough to share their home with me for the night. The village looked poor, even for a fishing village, but I thought if I perhaps offered to share some of the tea I had bought at the last town I was in they would be more welcoming since it was a luxury I knew few of the peasants of the area can afford.

As I approached it however, I noticed ahead of me a third group of men head towards the settlement. I was concerned as I was afraid they might be raiders. I admit I became angry at their cruelty for attacking such a poor looking village that would not be able to give them anything of value"

He pulled a hard face, spitting the next sentence.

"Apart perhaps from their women."

He muttered angrily to himself in his mother tongue for a few moments, taking another long draw from his tea. Leo said nothing, waiting patiently for him to continue.

Usagi sighed, pushing the though aside as he continued.

"Anyhow, I was concerned that I may be witnessing an attack and sped up my pace. I could not hear anything that might have implied that a struggle was happening though and hoped that if it was indeed an attack, that they were biding their time and that no violence had erupted yet.

When I came closer to the village's outskirts I was confronted by 3 men who, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be on guard. They asked me what I wanted and I told them, quite honestly, that I was hoping to seek shelter there for the night. They turned me away, saying that they did not want the likes of me in their town. I protested, pointing out that I had just seen a group of men enter a short while before me and how they were not sent away. The guard I was speaking to replied that it was because the village already had these men spending the night that they could not spare a meal and a bed for another mendicant ronin. I could not argue this logic and left, saying that I would seek shelter elsewhere.

However something about the situation did not sit right with me. I did not understand why such a poor settlement required 3 able bodied men to guard it. I also noticed the men were not fishermen themselves. They were too well-fed and seemed too arrogant towards some-one of higher class to be peasants."

"Higher-class." Leo repeated flatly. He wasn't offended by the statement, he just wanted to make sure he understood what Usagi meant.

Usagi nodded, blinking at this. He obviously didn't understand Leo's confusion. "Usually peasants welcome me with anything from fear to hatred depending on their circumstances and pervious experiences with Samurai. But I am not often confronted by simple peasants who look down upon me." He gave a light-hearted smile. "At least not to my face."

Leo nodded. The feudal system in full play right there. He said nothing though. It wasn't his place to judge and he knew of all the people from that world, Usagi was probably one of the ones who discriminated the least. He waved a hand. "Ok go on. So what happened?"

"Well, I wanted to stay close and observe anything strange happening in the village so I turned away from the beach and made camp in the cover of the trees. I wanted to remain inconspicuous and so sadly I could not make a fire which was rather unpleasant. I watched the lights from the shacks for a while and listened for anything suspicious but eventually I accepted that it did not seem anything ill was afoot and went to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I watched it again for a while before I planned to continue my journey. I noticed the group of men I had seen enter it leave, some of them on horseback. I found this strange since few bandits I had run into had the resources to support horses and I doubted any-one could afford such a luxurious animal in that village.

I decided to try and find a way to investigate before I moved on.

I rounded the village, thinking perhaps I could approach it from the other direction and slip inside somehow. However I saw that that side of it was also guarded. I decided to come straight from the woods themselves and not from the road that ran through it, thinking perhaps they had not considered some-one would approach them from that side when there was a perfectly good path leading straight towards it as well as the expanse of the beach which was much easier to travel than the forest.

I managed to slip in between two of the perimeter shacks and tried to see if I could find any answers to what was going on.

I noticed right away that something was not right. I had spent time in fishing villages before, and this almost did not even feel like one. I saw no men ready themselves for the daily catch, nor women tending to their husband's equipment nor even any children busying themselves with morning chores. The only people I saw seemed to be cut from the same cloth as those I saw entering the night before and leave again that morning. Some of them looked to be more refined than others who appeared to be nothing but common thugs. But no common villagers.

I became worried, wondering if perhaps some dark deed had transpired that I did not wish to think about in too much detail. However I was relieved when I noticed some of the shacks were in a state of disrepair and were succumbing to the sand and sea due to neglect. I guessed that whoever these men were, they had infiltrated an abandoned village and had not claimed it by force. This also explained why no-one had probably realized they were settling there as it was far removed from the main roads and if it was abandoned then no-one was expecting any goods to be delivered from there.

I was about to leave and head for the nearest town where I could notify the authorities when I overheard two of the men talking. They were complaining about being stuck in one area for so long and one of them was asking if the other knew when they were suppose to move further into the province. I heard the other reply that he did not know and that all they could do was await instructions from their lord and follow his orders. This bothered me quite a bit and I remained where I was, hoping to hear more.

The first man went on to say he did not understand why they had to be so secretive and if it would not be wiser to simply charge the Geishu land head-on and crush Lord Noriyuki's forces with one hard blow in place of this convoluted espionage. His friend replied that he did not assume to understand their lord's thinking but that all they could do was continue their patrol and scouting of the Geishu borders' defences and hope it would not be too long before they move onwards to action.

This was a much more serious situation than I ever suspected and I decided I had better flee the scene before I was discovered. I turned and worked my way back out of the village, deciding to head the same way I had come from and try to avoid being spotted. If these men were operating under a lord they would immediately recognize my _mon_ as being that of a stranger and not affiliated with their clan.

Or at least I thought so. I unfortunately ran into one of their men just before I managed to get away. However he seemed to be one of the more brutish types who were probably hired mercenaries and not loyal to the clan themselves. I was afraid I was caught at first, but when I claimed to be a hired sword myself and that I was leaving to indulge in some _sake_ in the town next over and would try sneak some back for the others he seemed to believe me and said that if I promised to share some with him upon return he would not tell any-one he had seen me. He appeared to be rather dull witted and I managed to escape without any-one else seeing me.

As soon as I was a safe distance away I made haste for the nearest town. Once there I reported what I had seen and heard to its magistrate and requested that he notify Lord Noriyuki of the infiltration of his domain. The Magistrate of the area agreed that it was enough of a concern to notify his lord.

I must confess, even if he had declined I would have made the trip to Noriyuki's palace myself. He would not bar me from an audience as I am considered a loyal friend to both the clan as well as himself. I had merely asked the magistrate's help as I knew he would both get the word to Noriyuki faster than I could and that I might be able to borrow a horse and make a faster trip to Lord Noriyuki's palace myself. I would not be able to keep up with the messenger but at least it would be much faster than travelling on foot.

The Magistrate was kind enough to spare one of his horses and I made my way further west to the palace.

When I arrived, Lord Noriyuki had already been notified of the situation and I was ushered to a private audience with him to give my first hand account. I told him everything I could remember hearing and seeing as well as where on his coast I had been when I discovered the outpost and how many men I estimated I had seen in that one village alone.

Once I had given my account Noriyuki declared that the threat needed to be driven back and away from his borders, signalling to whoever the lord they served under may be that he would not tolerate such a blatant invasion of his territory and that he was not to be considered a feeble opponent.

He ordered a platoon be sent to the area to eradicate the threat. It was decided Tomoe would oversee the operation as his eyes and ears as he would not only trust her reports, but also had high praise for her judgement. Everything seemed set into play and I was relieved to see my report was taken seriously and not questioned, resulting in a loss of what could be precious time. Once I was dismissed from my audience with Noriyuki, Tomoe asked if she could speak to me.

She asked if I would accompany her and her party. I told her I was not sure what I could offer that Noriyuki's men could not and that I doubted my swords would be of much added value to the venture. She told me she trusted my advice and would appreciate my council as well as my presence."

Usagi paused for a moment, staring thoughtfully at the top of the table. The tea in his cup had long cooled but he kept his fingers curled around it lightly. A slight frown spread on his face, as if a thought had just crossed his mind. Leo waited impatiently to hear what happened next. However when the pause dragged out too long he felt the need to urge Usagi to continue.

"Did you say yes?" He asked.

Usagi nodded, focusing back on the present. "I had no choice."

Leo frowned at this. "'Had no choice'? I don't think they could do anything about it if you didn't want to right? I mean you're not even from that part of the country right? You've no obligation towards them. You could've said 'no' if you wanted to."

Usagi gave Leo a meaningful, hard stare. "....Not with the way she was looking at me when she asked."

Leo pulled a face at this, a mental image forming in his head of Tomoe's face, asking if Usagi would help her and her Lord because they _trusted_ him and valued his friendship. He sighed. "Point taken. Anyway carry on."

Usagi sat back in his chair a little.

"We made our way to the south-eastern border. The men we had in our party were not many, but they were all of great skill and our journey was fast. We reached the town nearest the village and I showed Tomoe and two of her guards where the small settlement was located.

Once we had a better idea of the layout of the area, as well as where gangs of men had most frequently been seen and which areas they most often travelled, plans were made quickly. It was decided a pincer attack on the village would be the best course of action, attacking both main entrances on either side, first from the east and then when we start driving them back, the second party would attack from the west. We wanted to eliminate the outpost but we were aiming to try and capture some prisoners for questioning and if there were other operations like this along the Geishu borders. Tomoe's logic was that it would not make sense to have only one infiltration party intrude on a territory and at the very least there had to be a second one somewhere further north perhaps.

Tomoe was set to lead the initial attack on the eastern side while I was stationed with those who were to attack the western side. I was not put in command of the division but the samurai who was, a man named Shinohara, seemed to value my addition to his party.

When night came and we were certain most of the patrols had returned for the night we made our move and launched our attack."

Leo licked his lips. He was leaning forward in his seat slightly as he listened. The idea of all of this actually happening was almost too out there to be considered a real event. It sounded more like the retelling of a movie or a very descriptive book. Hearing stories about Lords and invaders and battles that some-one you personally knew had a major part in it all was more than a little exciting. Not to mention we weren't just talking a -esque battle here, but a battle with Samurai with clear good guys and bad guys. Leonardo just ate this kind of stuff up.

"So what happened then?" He asked eagerly. "Were you able to find out if there was another outpost somewhere?"

Usagi sighed, rubbing at his face for a moment. "We were never able to ask."

Leo's face fell at this. "...What d'you mean?"

Usagi straightened again. "Our attack took them by complete surprise, and it was clear we had them out-numbered and out-skilled. Tomoe's party hit them swift and hard. Our division waited our chance when the invaders would realize they were going to lose this battle and would retreat right into us at which point we would launch our attack. At least.. ..that was the plan."

"So what happened?" Leo asked anxiously. "Did something go wrong?"

Usagi said nothing for a few moments before he gave a slow nod. "Yes."

He shook his head before carrying on. "We held our position, waiting for our chance, when we heard the sound of gunfire come from the village." Usagi pulled a face, almost as if he was in pain. "I had not realized that they had a supply of _teppo_ with them. Whether they were meant to be used by the men themselves or if it was a shipment delivered to their location to be held until their lord launched a more elaborate attack I do not know. But regardless, with Noriyuki's men attacking them they had obviously armed themselves and opened fire on Tomoe's division once they realized what was going on."

a Frown hardened on his face as he rested his forehead in his hand.

"Noriyuki had sent skilled men and we outnumbered the invading party... but if they had guns... that changed matters completely.

Shinohara-san ordered our charge early to aid Tomoe's division once we realized they were in trouble. It was mass confusion. The scene was well-lit by the men's own torches as well as from fires set to some of the shacks to drive any of them out of hiding, but with the presence of guns now known, there was the danger of the flames igniting their supply of black powder for the weapons. Also, it was clear that those who were handling the weapons were not familiar with them and shots were fired off in confusion as frequently as with an intentional target.

But even with little skill, they still had the advantage over us and our men's numbers soon dwindled. Eventually we had no choice but to retreat the scene and regroup before sending word that we needed a larger force to eradicate this threat. The retreat was sounded and we fled back towards the woods.

Some of the gunmen gave chase, opening fire on us as we left. I was following Shinohara-san when my horse screamed and fell. I was thrown from the saddle which is when I must have hit my head. I do not remember it being that hard but my heart was still pumping from the battle and I must have under-estimated the blow.

I remember Shinohara-san circling back to fetch me, but I told him to continue the retreat. I saw him hesitate but when more gunfire erupted from behind us he turned and vanished into the woods.

I followed after on foot but I was starting to feel my fatigue from the battle and my head was reeling. I managed to reach the trees and tried to put as much distance between myself and my pursuers as I could. I did not think they would stray far from the village but their weapons and our retreat had made them bold and they followed much more eagerly than I anticipated.

I remember catching my foot on something and falling. I thought I was further ahead of them than I was, so when I turned and saw a man coming up on my heels with a lit _teppo_ in his hands I panicked."

He blinked to himself, folding his hands together calmly as he lowered his gaze almost shamefully.

"It was not that I was afraid for myself. I have never been afraid of death, but what I _am_ afraid of... is failure. Especially when it is not myself that I fail but a friend. I was not afraid, but I did not want to die. Tomoe had asked me to accompany her on this mission because she wanted me to give her my advice and aid. I did not want to let her down... especially not after such an upset in our plans.

I could think of nothing else to do... I had nowhere to run and no way I could defend myself from such a range... so I did the only thing I could think of at the time... ...I came here."

Leo swallowed dryly. He really didn't like the sudden turn this little story had taken. "How.. ..how did you open a portal and escape fast enough?"

Usagi gave an empty laugh. "I am not even sure. But somehow I managed it before he was able to take proper aim.. ..and I came here. I remember falling on top of Mikey-kun. When I discovered I was safe and not dead my fatigue and blow to the head must have caught up with me and I must have fallen asleep... the rest you know."

They said nothing for a little while. Leo stared at Usagi silently, his face deeply lined with both concern and sympathy for his friend. It all suddenly made far too much sense, and Leo didn't like the scenario Usagi had painted for him at all. He watched the samurai quietly.

Usagi was resting his head in one of his hands, staring at the top of the table with a pained expression. He looked deeply distressed and rattled by the experience. Leo knew Usagi had probably found himself in tight spots before, probably much worse than the one he'd just come from, but he also knew that Usagi'd had some bad experiences with battles and retreating from them. He wondered if his friend's state had more to do with past experience and inner demons than with the stress of a battle gone wrong.

".. ..Are you ok?" Leo asked gently, unable to take the expression on the rabbit's face any longer.

Usagi took a deep breath, straightening in his seat a little. ".. ...I was just thinking..."

He raised his gaze back to meet Leo's. "...Tomoe has no doubt heard by now that my horse was struck... ...and with me not having returned to her group she probably thinks I have been killed... ...I am pained at the thought of her grieving for me when I am unharmed..."

Leo blinked at him dumbly for a moment. He then shook his head with an almost frustrated sounding sigh. "Usagi.. ..do me a favour... ..think of _yourself_ for once ok? Just.. .._try _it one of these days and see if you like it!"

Usagi's ears flattened slightly at this as he sank in his seat. "..._Gomen."_

Leo sighed, getting up and taking Usagi's cup of cold tea away from him. He turned back to the kettle, dumping the cold liquid into the sink as he went.

"Is that all that's bothering you?" He asked as he refilled the kettle and switched it on again.

Usagi gave a tight exhale. "No."

He reached up, running his hands backwards over his head in what looked like frustration. "...I should have scouted their outpost more thoroughly before reporting to Lord Noriyuki! If I had investigated properly I would have discovered the guns and I would have saved us this fiasco! Now all I have accomplished is to have lead Tomoe and her men towards a massacre!"

He sat back rather sharply, bringing his hands down rather hard onto the table. "And then when I was to get my comeuppance for the error I did not even have the courage to face it, but instead I turned tail and ran to you for help like some frightened child!" He crossed his arms, leaning them on the table as he glared angrily at nothing. "My actions disgust me."

Leo stared at him, caught off guard by the sudden burst of frustration. He said nothing for a few moments before he turned and sat back down at the table, keeping his gaze locked on Usagi.

"There's absolutely nothing wrong with choosing to live, Usagi." Leo said carefully.

Usagi shook his head irritably, sitting upright again. "I do not agree with you on that at all. Especially if it comes at the expense of others."

Leo frowned at this. "I don't really understand. I didn't hear anything about you stepping on some-one else in order to survive."

Usagi snapped his gaze back up to Leo. "You are not serious!" He raised his hands and started counting off. "I led good, honourable soldiers to their doom because I was not clear of my facts. When I found myself in danger I ran to you for help instead of trying to rely on my own resources. You could even argue that I have deserted my allies to save my own skin by coming here. And possibly worst of all I have not only led Tomoe, who is my personal friend, into danger but I have also failed her in her mission, no doubt caused her distress in thinking I have been killed and now I am sitting here comfortably drinking tea while she is trying to orchestrate what remains of her men and trying to decide how to rectify this whole mess! Do not stare me in the face and _lie_ saying that I have done nothing wrong!"

Leo's frown deepened. "First of all, from what I could tell, if you'd stuck around long enough to figure out they had a supply of guns you'd probably have been killed anyway before being able to tell any-one about those guys being there, which probably would've made things _much_ worse for your friends so right away you can push all that bullshit aside, secondly I'd have throttled you if you decided you'd rather get a chest full of lead than rely on _our_ friendship, thirdly it wasn't _you_ who told Tomoe to lead those men and last but not least I'd have been _devastated_ if you got yourself killed! Do you have _any_ idea how I would've felt if that happened?!" Leo brought a hand down onto the table, rather hard.

"And what I can't believe is that you're sitting there saying how you're so upset because Tomoe is probably heart-broken thinking that you're dead and then in the same _breath_ you say it would've been better if you actually _were_! What kind of sense does that make?! Did you even stop to consider _maybe_ she'd be so unhappy at you being dead because she'd _rather you still be alive?!"_

Leo stood up sharply, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you! I honestly can't believe you! You're sitting there saying that it would've been better if you'd gotten your head blown off and given Tomoe _and me_ a _real_ reason to be grief-stricken because _you_ feel ashamed of yourself for choosing to survive! You're out of your mind!"

He turned sharply, going back to the kettle and picking it up rather violently, pouring two new cups of coffee and tea, glaring venomously at the counter-top as if it'd personally offended him. He could feel blood throbbing against his eardrums. He didn't mean to lose it, but he was furious with his friend for being so _stupid._

There was a long, laboured pause before he heard Usagi speak up behind him. His voice sounded shaky and rather remorsefully.

"Leonardo.. ..I.. ..I am sorry."

Leo shook his head again with a sharp sigh, turning to face him again, leaning back against the counter. Usagi was staring at him with a guilt-ridden expression, his hands curled into tight fists on top of the table.

"I did not.. ...I never meant to sound like.. .." he gave a softer sigh of frustration, pausing for a second to sort out his thoughts before he tried again. "I did not think of it that way... ...I.. ..I would never want you or Tomoe to be hurt.. ..least of all because of me..."

He bit on his bottom lip. He really did seem ashamed and Leo couldn't help but feel a little guilty himself. He hadn't meant to upset Usagi even more, but it's obvious he'd struck a very deep nerve. He let his shoulders drop, relaxing a little. He turned, collecting their drinks before going back over and sitting down again, pushing Usagi's cup closer to him.

"I can't speak for Tomoe... but as far as I'm concerned you could've set a whole city on fire if it'd gotten you outta there safely." He said, his voice much calmer.

Usagi cracked a weak smile at this as he took the cup gratefully. "You exaggerate... but thank you."

Leo smiled back, a little warmer than Usagi though. "You're a bit of a dork and I'm still not convinced you're completely sane, but I wouldn't like anything happening to you. And if Tomoe really is your friend I'm sure she feels the same way. If you tell her you did what you had to to save yourself I'm sure she'd only be happy and relieved."

Usagi thought about this for a moment, staring at the swirling steam from his mug. Leo wasn't sure if Usagi was agreeing with what he said so he carried on. "If the roles were switched... wouldn't you rather her do something to save herself instead of just getting killed?"

_That_ seemed to get a response out of him. His ears perked upright as he blinked wide-eyed at Leo. "Of course!"

Leo gave him a victorious grin and a small shrug. "Well then?"

Usagi pulled a face at him in mock anger. "Alright alright. I see your point. I suppose."

"Good." Leo gave a satisfied nod, taking a gulp from his mug. "So do us all a favour and stop pulling this "woe is me" crap, accept that you're not Superman and move forward. If you're unhappy with how things turned out then fix them. Tomoe asked for your help and I'm sure she could still use it, probably more so now that things have gone kinda haywire. She'll be happy you're still alive and kicking. Trust me."

Usagi blinked at him wide-eyed over the top of his mug, saying nothing. Leo cocked a brow at him, his smile falling a little. "What? Am I gonna have to twist your arm for you before you accept that?"

Usagi shook his head slowly, still blinking at his friend. "No..." He swallowed nervously. "It's just.. .. ..er_.. .._ .." He gave a sheepish grin. "'Superman'?"

Leo snerked on his coffee, leaning forward quickly to prevent himself from spilling. He swallowed the rest of it quickly before he gave a short laugh.

"Don't worry about it." He said, giving Usagi an affectionate smile.

**Xxxxx**

_Sorry for not being able to explain some of the words used in the text itself 8D;; *hates that* also... excuse my lack of Japanese skillz._

_Nippon – Traditional name for Japan. I wasn't sure whether to use Nihon, Nippon or Nippon-Koku. I decided to go with Nippon since I believe, in my limited knowledge, Nihon is more contemporary._

_Mon – A crest. Usagi wears 5 of them. 1 on each sleeve, 1 on either side of his chest and one just below the collar of his kimono on his back. It tells others which clan he is associated with._

_Teppo – European Matchlock gun. It requires a lit fuse to ignite the gunpowder and fire otherwise it's useless._

_Lemme know if I screwed up anywhere. One more chapter to go! 8D_


	4. Commitments

_I don't own TMNT or UY._

**Xxxxx**

Leo was sinking lower and lower onto his folded arms. He was blinking slower than what was normal and his eyes were busy fogging over. Usagi was watching him out of the corner of his eye. He gave an inward sigh as he took another bite out of his apple.

After Usagi had filled Leo in on what he'd gone through before landing on Mikey's lap, and after Leo and he had both calmed down from their semi-argument, they'd gone on to lighter, less stressful topics to ease the tension. Leo had told Usagi of his own adventures since their last meeting and Usagi had in turn told him of some of the things he'd gotten himself into which didn't involve him almost getting killed. After a while Usagi had to swallow his pride and admit that he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything in well over half a day. Leo'd offered that they get him something like a sandwich or something they could heat up in the microwave, but Usagi was already feeling like he was imposing too much on Leo's hospitality, and settled for an apple. Once he'd finished it however Leo pushed another one into his hands which Usagi didn't resist too much.

After some time their conversations had quietened down, and now Leo was having a hard time staying awake. Usagi watched him as he battled to keep his eyes open, feeling rather guilty at keeping his friend up when he himself had already gotten a few short hours of sleep. He sighed to himself thoughtfully as he ate what was left of the fruit. It tasted strange but he didn't mind.

He thought about what Leo had said in conjunction with his story, what his friend's opinions were on Usagi's actions and his personal feelings regarding his choices. The samurai had to admit that, once Leo gave him a different perspective on the whole thing, his hang-ups over 'running away' were, in a way, pretty selfish. After all, as Leo said, it was true Tomoe would be mourning his death because she wants him to stay alive. When he returns all he needed to prepare himself for was perhaps a very angry _Onna-bugeisha_ who would most likely slap him for scaring her, but not some-one who'd scorn him for keeping himself alive.

Usagi caught himself smiling at this, but only for a moment before it faded again. He was thinking of her reaction to his return while he was still sitting here, in a safe, comfortable environment drinking tea and eating fruit. He was not hurt in any way. The blow to his head had disorientated him but it wasn't anything serious. The most he had to show for it was a slight headache which was slowly subsiding and possibly a bump. Other than that he didn't even have so much as grass-burns, and his armour, thanks to Raphael, was polished and clean.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with him... and Tomoe was thinking him dead.

It wasn't fair. There wasn't a single way he could think about it that made it seem the least bit justified. Although he felt a little uncomfortable about it, Leo's convinced him escaping from the gunman the way he had was a smart move, not a cowardly one. But now things were ok again.

He swallowed the last of his apple, putting the core down on the table. "Leonardo?"

Leo jerked upright in his seat with a start, blinking rapidly to himself. "Huh?! Wha??"

Usagi stifled a laugh, rather unsuccessfully. He then gave his friend a more sincere expression. "Leonardo... I must go."

Leo yawned, pulling down his mask to rub at his eyes. "Go where?" he asked groggily.

Usagi smiled at him. "I must go." He repeated simply.

Leo retied his mask, frowning at the samurai lightly. "Go... you mean go back?"

Usagi gave a nod.

Leo's frown deepened as his sleepiness got pushed aside. "But it's still the middle of the night! What about the other's? Raph, Mikey, Donny and Master Splinter? They'll want to say good-bye! You can't just slip away like a thief in the night!"

Usagi couldn't help but laugh at this. "You are worse than a child Leonardo."

Leo pulled a disgruntled face. "It's the truth though." He gave a more serious expression, frowning softly. "Raph'll be pretty mad if you just go without even telling them why you came."

"You can tell them." Usagi said matter-of-factly as he pushed himself to his feet.

"He'll want to have heard it from you." Leo said as he got up as well. "Not to mention Mikey'll be upset."

"I am sure that when you tell them of the circumstances they will forgive my rudeness." Usagi said, giving Leo a warm smile.

Leo's frown flickered. "But you barely even got here. And you've hardly had any rest or food after everything.... and now you're going back to a war-zone..."

Usagi's smile faded just slightly at this as he blinked at Leo, rather surprised. "I will be alright."

Leo's expression tightened slightly. "You don't know that."

Usagi frowned, tilting his head slightly as he gave Leo a quizzical stare. Leo stood glued to the spot, glaring back. He seemed stuck somewhere between two emotions, and Usagi couldn't quite place either of them.

Usagi's expression softened as he straightened again. "Leonardo... remember why I said I was unhappy to have come here?"

Leo blinked, confused by this. He thought for a moment before answering. "Lots of reasons, but you seemed the most hung-up because of Tomoe and because you were guilty about her thinking you'd been killed."

Usagi gave a slow nod. "...And she still does." His sympathetic attitude melted and he gave Leo a more pleading, anxious look. "Leonardo I can not do this to her. I can not keep sitting here in comfort for no reason other than 'it is safer here than it is there'. That is not only unjust but it is cruel. I must go back. I must let Tomoe know I am alright, and then I must help her with the predicament we have found ourselves in." He smiled again. "Although in all honestly, my anxiousness to return stems mostly because I want her to know I am alright."

Leo chewed on his lip, trying hard to think of an excuse he could use on the rabbit to make him stay till morning other than 'I really don't want you to go because I'm worried sick something might happen to you'. Sadly he had to admit though, Usagi was completely right. As much as Leo hated it, he knew if he thought Usagi had been killed and was wrong about it, he'd want to be set straight as quickly as possible. But that was also kind of the problem.

"You're jumping head first into a war-zone," Leo said. "What if something happens to you? I wouldn't even know about it till who knows when. How am I even gonna know if everything works out and you're fine? I'm gonna sit here worrying like an idiot."

Usagi rolled his eyes. "I take it back. You are not worse than a child, you are like an overly concerned mother." He smiled, more affectionately. "But I understand your concern, although I have nothing I could really say to ease your fears."

Leo seemed very unhappy with this answer but said nothing. Usagi placed a well-meaning hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry my friend. I honestly am."

Leo sighed. "Don't be. It's not like you're wrong. It's just..." Leo gave a short, huff of a breath. "...Forget your damn manners and drop in once things calm down for you ok?"

Usagi gave a brighter smile at this and nodded, taking back his hand. "Alright. We have a deal."

Leo nodded, managing a shaky smile, if only to hide what he was really feeling. "You owe me big time. Raph's gonna have a few words for me when he wakes up and hears I let you go."

Usagi gave a laugh at this, turning to leave the kitchen. "I am sure you will survive." He turned to glance at Leo over his shoulder as he walked. "But if I am already indebted to you, perhaps I should save asking a second favour."

Leo raised a brow suspiciously, not completely trusting this. "Well... that depends on what you want doesn't it?"

Usagi gave Leo a more genuine smile as he walked over to the coffee table where Raphael had carefully put his armour for him, every inch of the brass cleaned of gore and violence.

"I was wondering if you would perhaps help me with this annoying suit. I have a hard time tying the cords of the breastplate on the back, and once I have one shoulder guard in place I have difficulty securing the second."

Leo blinked at this for a moment before he gave a nod, his expression becoming a little sombre again.

With Leo's help it didn't take long to get the intricate garment of woven silk and brass properly fastened, tied and clasped over Usagi's more familiar blue kimono. Unlike his armour, there'd been no time to clean the silk, but Usagi didn't show any signs of minding too much. Leo supposed that when the only things you owned were, literally, the clothes on your back, you couldn't complain or start getting picky or you'd just drive yourself insane.

Still, and Leo was aware this was just him being ridiculous now, seeing the calm blue silk stained with the grease from brass and flecks of both blood and soot, punched a hole in his chest. It was another testament to the fact that Usagi had barely arrived from the 7th circle of hell and before Leo had been able to say 2 words to him, he was going straight back. Leo'd barely seen him.

His expression betrayed him.

"Come now Leonardo. Do not look so morbid." Usagi said, he sounded almost like he was scolding him. The samurai was tying the last strap on his right gauntlet before securing his _daisho_ at his side. "You are bound to attract bad fortune with an attitude like that."

Leo said nothing, staring at his friend silently. Usagi groaned. "For heaven's sake do not look at me like that. You act as if I am walking to my doom and you will never see me again."

Leo flinched at the sentence.

Usagi blinked at the reaction, faltering with the fussing over his outfit and freezing for a moment. He straightened. He stared at Leo for a moment before he gave him a soft frown, but a kinder expression was behind it.

"...You fret too much." He said.

Leo found his tongue had decided to glue itself to his palate. When swallowing didn't dislodge it he merely dropped his gaze, frowning to himself in irritation at his behaviour. What was he? A toddler?? This was getting stupid, and knowing it was just made him feel even worse.

Usagi sighed, lowering his gaze to the floor as he reached up and retied his ears into their top-knot. He thought for a few moments as he did so. He gave his head a shake once the knot was done and picked up his helmet before turning back to stare at the dejected figure of Leo standing in front of him. He pulled a face to himself, tensing and untensing his hands around the brass in his hands.

He wasn't good with this kind of thing. Usually the people he had to say good-bye to always understood the risks of the world he came from because they lived in it themselves and knew what to expect. Not to mention they all pretty much trusted Usagi had the knowledge and experience to keep himself alive out there in the wilderness. The only person he knew who acted this distressed when he left was Jotaro, and that was because the boy was young and was afraid of the great unknown Usagi would step back into whenever he left.

But then... that was Leo's situation too wasn't it? The only problem was Leo knew enough of the world to have a better idea of what kind of dangers would be waiting for Usagi. What kind of comfort can you give some-one for something like that?

Usagi stared at his friend for a few moments before he finally spoke again. "I made a new ally since we last met."

Leo looked up at this, giving Usagi a confused stare. Usagi pretended not to see it, putting his helmet on his head and securing it under his chin, giving Leo a light-hearted smile. "A priest. He is a fine man and has saved my skin more than once since I met him. I have not known him long, but I consider him a valuable friend." He finished tying the strap, completing the outfit. He gave Leo a smile. "However when I met him it was not under the best circumstances."

Leo blinked, completely lost as to what the hell Usagi was talking about or why. It was almost on auto-pilot that he asked; "Why? What happened?"

Usagi gave a laugh, as if Leo's question was completely unexpected. "I can not tell you _now_! I am in a hurry." His smile calmed into something warmer and more sympathetic. "I will have to tell you next time I see you."

Leo blinked softly at this before he gave a nod in agreement. He found himself able to return the smile, although perhaps not as easily, and with more sadness to it.

Usagi's however, perked as he turned and, with some chalk they'd dug up from somewhere, opened up a portal to lead him back to his own world. Once the intricate symbols were scrawled and he'd recited the strange words, causing the glowing circle to appear in front of them he turned and gave Leo a last, reassuring smile.

He stood silently for a few moments before he finally turned to leave.

"_Abayo." _He said simply, his expression saying the rest for him.

The glowing circle flashed, surging for a brief second before it sunk in on itself, thinning to a thread-like slit in the air before breaking apart and disappearing completely.

"Be safe." Leo said to the empty room.

-----

The sun was rising.

Despite popular thinking, the sun rarely burns red when it first rises in the sky. Instead, it first burns the clouds soft pink, making them contrast the sky which slowly floods full of a lighter shade of blue. Then, the thinnest line of pale yellow appears on the horizon, and the pink of the clouds melt away to their normal, every day white. It's at this point that the first sliver of bright hot white makes its appearance and the sun starts its daily routine. Unlike sunset when the colours are harsh and sharp, dawn is more often than not made up of softer, gentler tones. Perhaps this was done on purpose to reassure the world that it was going to be a good day.

Usagi was panting by now. It was more than a short walk from the forest of the southern shore to the nearest town, and he'd tried to make the journey as fast as possible.

The tall look-out tower was the first thing he saw, followed shortly by the first few roofs of the houses making up the humble town. He could hear the sounds of voices as husbands and wives woke up for their daily chores accompanied by the yells and energetic cries of children. Ahead of him, the main entrance to the town had its first sleepy-looking pedestrians follow the road to wherever they needed to go. Usagi found his second wind and sped up his pace.

The simple peasants he passed as he entered the settlement stopped in their tracks to gawk at the fully armoured samurai marching, both literally and figuratively, as bold as brass into their town. Usagi ignored them completely, making a B-line for the magistrate's home where the mad would most likely still be this early in the morning.

Ahead of him he could see one of the village watchmen stare at him before he turned tail and ran in the same direction Usagi was heading, more than likely to alert the magistrate himself before Usagi could get there. He noticed a second one also take to his heels, but he turned down a different street and disappeared to who knows where.

The samurai wasn't put off. He didn't expect any less. What else were they suppose to do when an armoured, unknown samurai wanders into their town but tell some-one official about it? He'd have been worried if they _didn't_ show some level of fear or suspicion to his suddenly appearance.

He'd just turned a corner, spotting the large white walls of the magistrate's estate in front of him when some-one called out to him from behind.

He stopped, turning to see who it was, although he'd already recognized the voice.

She was running hard to try and catch up with him, apparently panting, However it didn't seem like it was because she was out of breath. Her lavender kimono was tied rather sloppily, she'd obviously done so in a blind rush. Her hair was unbrushed, making it even more curly than usual and causing it to bounce with her step. She called out to him again.

Usagi felt himself smile.

"Tomoe!" He called back.

**End.**

**Xxxxx**

_Onna-Bugeisha – a female samurai_

_Daisho – a double sword set made up of a katana and Wakizahi._

_Abayo – Outdated way of saying farewell. Translates more or less to "I pray you stay well" I believe._

_Lemme know if I screwed up anywhere 8)_

_I hope you guys enjoyed it, even if it was rather short. ...it would be SO easy to use this as a starting point for a much larger story.. ..if I ever figure out what that much larger story is XD;;_

_Originally I wasn't going to include the last section of this story... but I felt it was needed._

_Thank you very much for reading every-one, and double thank you for those who commented and gave their support. 3_

_Till next time~_

_C-Puff_


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